StanleyWheeler

 

Is GoldenEye the best Bond film ever?

Of course it is!

GoldenEye was Pierce Brosnan's Bond debut in 1995, and he nailed it. Although he may have lacked the gravitas of Connery, I enjoyed his performance much more than that of any other Bond. Perhaps Timothy Dalton suffered from poor scripts or lackluster performances by co-stars (as could be argued for Brosnan's later Bond entries) but I could never see Dalton as Bond--something was off with him in the role. Daniel Craig does a spectacular job as Bond, but his characterization lacks most of the charm brought to the role by Connery, Moore, and Brosnan. Additionally, the more recent Bond scripts with which Craig has had to deal have veered away in many respects from the classic Bond to dwelling on his sad backstory and the sort of emotional and social issues from which a great Bond movie is supposed to offer a reprieve. Lazenby wasn't bad, but that's all I can say.

You've probably already found a number of points upon which to disagree with me--I don't care*. Let's move on.

The leap from the dam, and the dive from the cliff the after the descending airplane are opening sequences as great and characteristically over the top action openers as you'll ever find. Don't forget the T-55. There are few things more exhilarating and as utterly irresponsible as a tank chase through city streets. It entirely unbelievable, but fantastic fun. The tank versus train showdown on the tracks smacks of a rework of an old western or a nod to Kelly's Heroes.

Here is another reason GoldenEye is the best Bond film:

Sean Bean as Alec Trevelyan is a great villain! He's 006, Bond's equal in almost every way--except he's a traitor. He knows the secrets. He knows the lies. He has credible motivation for his evil treachery. It's Richard Sharpe turned against King and Country and he means to knock them back into the stone age. The final scenes of Bean and Brosnan fighting it out bring something quite rare--a villain who actually does his own dirty work and who can take on Bond in a physical, man-to-man contest. It's Captain Ron Tracy battling Captain Kirk with all the resources of a crazy Russian general and more at his disposal. I do think the film could have been improved with more screen time for Sean Bean. The combat on the antenna and Bond's rescue by the chopper have a definite feel of the conclusion of The Empire Strikes Back about them.

Left out of the picture above is Robbie Coltrane as Zukovsky and Joe Don Baker as CIA man Jack Wade. These are fun characters who add depth and flavor to the film. Bond confronting and seeking help from the Russian he previously shot in the leg, and the American's no-nonsense approach to assisting Bond are priceless. Femke Janssen brings robust enthusiasm to the shallow role of upper-level henchman.

My favorite character has to be Natalya Simonova as played by Izabel Scorupco. She doesn't get killed. She isn't crazy. She's extremely competent within her sphere of expertise, and she saves Bond's life at least twice. She lives through a terrible surprise attack and traverses a frozen wilderness. She proceeds to track down the Russian traitor on her own and without her Bond could not stop the destruction of London. The relationship that develops between her and Bond actually feels genuine, more than merely physical. Her statement, repeating one of Bond's earlier lines, "Kill him. He means nothing to me," may be the most sweetly stinging line in the film.

There are scenes reminiscent of earlier bond movies. Those carry a subtle sense of nostalgia, or an air of homage, rather than an adherence to the formula often associated with the Bond movies. I think that is because GoldenEye marks the beginning of the end of the old Bond. The world is changing, and so is Bond--and that's not entirely for the best. I know, bold words from 2020 about a movie from 1995.

*Disclaimer: I've never seen a Bond movie in the theater. I've only seen them on network TV or streaming services, and have made no effort to watch and rate all of them. My interest and expertise is purely amateur--but I know what I like.